Goodman Games

Just curious what the plan is for the Zocchi dice used in the games?

Will we be able to buy them from Goodman Games (perhaps in a package with the books)? If I can buy them here eventually I will just wait, otherwise I may as well buy them now so I can start toying with them.

Little known fact: Goodman Games has sold Zocchi dice on our web site for like 4 years, maybe longer than that. I love the things and have been including them in DCC modules since, I dunno, maybe around the mid-30's or so. The 3E DCC modules included them for things like wandering monster tables, here and there...nothing absolutely required to the adventure but I have always enjoyed having the opportunity to roll a d5 or d7. You can still buy them here:

http://www.goodman-games.com/store-dice.html

I don't have many left -- I've sold them on my site only as a novelty. Basically, I got to score a lot of dice at wholesale prices this way, then sold what I didn't need to make up for it.

You can of course also buy them from the manufacturers, who now sell them under the Gamestation.net site (as well as a lot of other dice on the same site):

http://www.gamestation.net/

As for DCC RPG, my plan is to make dice available through Goodman Games, associated with the DCC RPG. Maybe a custom-packed set or something along those lines. Not sure yet but let's just say I'm talking to the right guys to do it.

Cool and thanks for the link. I will likely wait to see what you offer in a package deal. As an aside, Zocchi die are not easy to find in Canada (actually I haven't found any) and most American sites charge excessive amounts in shipping.

I assume the d30 die is not used? Don't know why but I really wanted to use that one. Actually the 14, 16, 24 and 30 seem like they would be fun to use. For some reason the 3, 5, and 7 aren't all that appealling but I still want them if DCC uses them.

D30 is indeed used in DCC RPG, but that one is not a Zocchi exclusive -- you can buy it from other sites. I think it's one of the more widely publicized "non-standard" dice. Some other game systems actually use it.

$20 for 6 dice is pretty steep. (and that 7 sider is fugly - i don't even see how that one works)

I don't understand the need for a different shape for each die type either. Why don't they just use a cube for the d3 and number 1-3 twice? They could do the same with a d10 for the d5 and a d14 for the d7. Personally I just plan on using a d4 for the d3, a d6 for the d5, and a d8 for the d7- just reroll if you roll too high. The only dice that look really necessary (and only for the convenience) would be the d14, d16, and d30.

Aahh... here's a cube die numbered 1-3 twice-

http://www.gamestation.net/s.nl/it.A/id.3414/.f

and apparently Koplow makes a cheaper d5, d16, d24, and d30.

If you want to make a cheap set to go with this game, you might want to talk to them.

mshensley wrote:$20 for 6 dice is pretty steep.

I agree.

mshensley wrote:(and that 7 sider is fugly - i don't even see how that one works)

I agree.

mshensley wrote:I don't understand the need for a different shape for each die type either.

Now I understand that one: Those sold geometric shapes are fun. The more of them there are, the more fun it is.

Agreed that some of these (the lower ones) are unnecessary but I will likely try them anyway. Wish they could improve the d7 more than anything.

I thought about finding dice that had the numbers doubled up (ie. 1-3 printed twice on a d6) but realized the advantage to the oddly shaped dice is the ease of visual recognition. If I need to roll 1-3 but have to scan around to find my "special d6" then it's not really faster than rolling 1d4 and re-rolling a 4. On the otherhand I could pick out that bead-shaped d3 quickly amongst my other dice and start rolling right away. I suppose you could just use different coloured dice for the doubled-up dice to help recognize them, hmm.

I received my weird Zocchi dice at the weekend and the funky d7 is great

bholmes4 wrote:I suppose you could just use different coloured dice for the doubled-up dice to help recognize them, hmm.

Just get all your weird numbered dice in a color that you don't have, like hot pink, and they'll be easy to find when you need them.

geordie racer wrote:I received my weird Zocchi dice at the weekend and the funky d7 is great

How do you read it? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen.

mshensley wrote:

bholmes4 wrote:I suppose you could just use different coloured dice for the doubled-up dice to help recognize them, hmm.

Just get all your weird numbered dice in a color that you don't have, like hot pink, and they'll be easy to find when you need them.

Yeah, I bought two sets of "glow green" which apparently actually glow in the dark. Ugly, but they have all of the dice types.

What I'd like to see improved:
1. I'm not so happy with the color selection. Most of the choices were transparent and non-inked.
2. I'm not so happy with the soft plastic. I'd like some high-quality nice dice in all of the shapes.

Hopefully this "strange dice" thing will catch on and more companies will start to produce these, then quality will improve as price drops.

mshensley wrote:

geordie racer wrote:I received my weird Zocchi dice at the weekend and the funky d7 is great

How do you read it? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen.

The result is whatever faces up, whether it be the flat sides (6, 7) or the dots on/around the top edge - in the photo here, a 5 has just been rolled

geordie racer wrote:The result is whatever faces up, whether it be the flat sides (6, 7) or the dots on/around the top edge - in the photo here, a 5 has just been rolled

Ohhhhh.... I get it now. You read the vertices. I still don't see how this could give you anywhere near a fair distribution. The flat sides are entirely different than the rest of the die.

mshensley wrote:I still don't see how this could give you anywhere near a fair distribution. The flat sides are entirely different than the rest of the die.

Fair? We don't need fair results! This is the DCC RPG! We want to upset game balance. We want to upset statistical probability. We want to make your game interesting!

finarvyn wrote:

mshensley wrote:I still don't see how this could give you anywhere near a fair distribution. The flat sides are entirely different than the rest of the die.

Fair? We don't need fair results! This is the DCC RPG! We want to upset game balance. We want to upset statistical probability. We want to make your game interesting!

Somebody needs to get Crystal Caste on board. I think they could do a better d7 with their cylindrical shaped dice-

mshensley wrote:

finarvyn wrote:

mshensley wrote:I still don't see how this could give you anywhere near a fair distribution. The flat sides are entirely different than the rest of the die.

Fair? We don't need fair results! This is the DCC RPG! We want to upset game balance. We want to upset statistical probability. We want to make your game interesting!

Somebody needs to get Crystal Caste on board. I think they could do a better d7 with their cylindrical shaped dice-

I agree that the 7-sider looks very disappointing.

Those certainly are strange shaped dice. I've seen those before but haven't ever owned or actually used any. Regular dice have a certain "feel" to them (the way they bounce and roll on the table). Do these have a similar feel?

finarvyn wrote:Those certainly are strange shaped dice. I've seen those before but haven't ever owned or actually used any. Regular dice have a certain "feel" to them (the way they bounce and roll on the table). Do these have a similar feel?

Cylindrical dice have a clunky feel -of the Zocchi dice I find the long d3 and the chunky triangle that is the d5 are quite odd to watch too. Part of the charm of the Zocchi dice is that they all feel different, whereas the more uniform-looking Crystal Caste set are variations on a theme, which may suit some people more.

finarvyn wrote:Those certainly are strange shaped dice. I've seen those before but haven't ever owned or actually used any. Regular dice have a certain "feel" to them (the way they bounce and roll on the table). Do these have a similar feel?

I have a few of them, but I don't like to use them as they feel a bit weird. But I can't imagine a weirder die than that d7.

geordie racer wrote:

finarvyn wrote:Those certainly are strange shaped dice. I've seen those before but haven't ever owned or actually used any. Regular dice have a certain "feel" to them (the way they bounce and roll on the table). Do these have a similar feel?

Cylindrical dice have a clunky feel -of the Zocchi dice I find the long d3 and the chunky triangle that is the d5 are quite odd to watch too. Part of the charm of the Zocchi dice is that they all feel different, whereas the more uniform-looking Crystal Caste set are variations on a theme, which may suit some people more.

I agree with geordie. I have some Crystal Caste and also some Zocchi dice (like the d14 and d16). I prefer the Zocchi dice. They feel more like "normal" polyhedrals to me. The Crystal Caste ones are fine. I wouldn't throw my arms up in protest if DCC or a player used them. They're just a little odd to me.

One problem I had with the Crystal Caste dice is that they're defined by size, predominantly. It's difficult to tell some of them apart. Whereas, most anyone can tell a d6 from a d8 from a d10. I think things get funky on the polyhedrals when I'm trying to pick between a d10, d14 and d16. But Crystal Caste dice have that problem across the board, IME.

The 10 Most Shameful RPG Dice
http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/04/the ... g_dice.php

Yay! My Zocchi Dice arrived in the mail today! I am ready for more playtesting.

My only complaint so far is that I couldn't get color matching d7s.

Just ordered a d14, d16, d24 an d30 from gamestation. D3, d5 and d7 I'll get by rolling the appropriate higher die type and halfing. I already do that with d4 because I can't pick up those stupid pyramids

dkeester wrote:Yay! My Zocchi Dice arrived in the mail today! I am ready for more playtesting.

My only complaint so far is that I couldn't get color matching d7s.

Yeah I want a nice set too